Another likely patent troll has gone after Apple in a lawsuit. Elia Data has filed a lawsuit against Apple claiming that iTunes, iCloud, the App Store, OS X Server, and Remote Desktop infringe on a patent it holds.
The suit was filed in the Federal Court in the Eastern District in Texas, described by MacTrast as “every patent troll’s favourite venue”.
Patent number 7,113,996 describes a system where data is transmitted securely between network nodes and other network nodes.
Apple Insider notes that Elias Data isn't listed on the patent, so it seems likely that they bought the patent with the sole purpose of pursuing lawsuits. Elia Data was founded as an LLC in Allen, Texas on January 20, 2012, according to Mac Observer’s research. The company has also sued Microsoft and IBM with the same patent.
Patent trolls
Patent trolls don't develop the technology themselves; these non-practicing entities or patent assertion entities (to use some more official terms) just buy up patents with a view to making money from companies that often unwittingly infringe on the patents.
According to a report, 40% of patent infringement cases filed in 2011 were filed by trolls.
Read our who's who of some of those trolling Apple here.
Thanks to Ryan Macro for the Patent Troll illustration.
Follow Karen Haslam on Twitter / Follow MacworldUK on Twitter
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